


Tea Time

by itbeajen



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Flower Language, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 14:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11511279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: Your affections were hidden. But so were his.But unlike you, who refused to do anything; he was determined to show it to you.





	Tea Time

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters that are mentioned. I am not making any profit from this fic and I write purely for the love of the characters. Fire Emblem is the property of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

**i.** **Snapdragons**  
  
"My lady, a present for you."  
  
"A present?" you glanced up from the tome you were reading and you asked, "From who?"  
  
"I know not. It was left outside your door, forgive me if I were not supposed to bring it in. But I had checked it beforehand and there are no signs of any possible consequences and no one had tampered with the original content and-"  
  
"Thank you, my dear," the smile on your features makes your personal maid flush slightly and she mirrors your visage and neatly bows, "I will leave this here for you then."  
  
Once your door clicked close again, you looked down at the dark red envelope with its matching box. The wax seal had no symbol, not even when reflected in the light or with the enchantments of magic. And the box was merely held close with a simplistic white ribbon tied around it.  
  
 _So they're hiding their identity? How intriguing._  The smile that was already evident on your lips widens as you gently peel it open. Inside it was a simple letter, and you couldn't help but feel slightly flushed from the sweetness of its contents.  
  


_Your thoughts are poured into each and every action._   
_But much would be expected from someone as tactful as you._   
_I can only wish that I can give you even a fraction of what you give to me._

_What in-_  You paused as you find that's all there was on the card. You warily eye the box, but you drop your guard once you removed the ribbon and lifted the lid. Bundled in white mesh and adorned with a baby blue ribbon was a small bouquet of snapdragons. Your breath hitched as you gently lifted the bouquet and you smiled.

"Concealment? Oh my." A small chuckle escapes your lips and you sighed, "I wonder whose eye I managed to catch."

  
**ii.**   **Petunia**  
  
"No," Leo responded, his brows furrowed and he grumbled, "Just leave!"   
  
The scampering of footsteps on the tiled floors of the study room quelled as soon as he heard the door slam shut. But just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, the door creaks open and he growled, "Corrin is already injured from the last expedition and you expect me to take just half the amount of soldiers? It's like you  _want_  us to march to our death, are you in-"  
  
Mid-rant he looks up and the amusement in your eyes makes him stand up in shock. "[F/N]?"  
  
"Should I stop by later, my Lord? I came by after Niles asked me to bring over some of the strategies I had written up, but if you don't-"  
  
"No, come in," Leo sat back down and ran a hand through his hair. His usual headband was missing and he muttered, "Sorry."  
  
"It's okay, I expected that they'd drop everything on you anyways. No one approves of a female leading an army, which is clear from the way they all ignored Lady Corrin on the battlefield. Her quick wits and thinking though proved them all wrong when she had accurately predicted that the enemy soldiers would move in such a way. You would think that they would respect her more afterwards, but..." you saw the way Leo's brows furrowed, and you stopped, "My apologies, I was out of line for speaking in such a way. But please know I genuinely respect Lady Corrin. I would not be here and alive if it were not for her."  
  
Leo shakes his head, "No, I'm not mad at you, [F/N]." He looks up at you as you still stood a few feet away from his desk and he gestures to the seats before him, "You can sit. And please, stop with the Lord thing already. We're friends, aren't we?"  
  
Your eyes widened, and he doesn't realize just how much his words have impacted you. You lower your head, hoping that your hair could possibly block the rising flush on your cheeks. But nothing can escape the sorcerous prince. His eyes widened at the shy demeanor of your actions, it was nothing like what he normally sees of you. He clears his throat, partly in an attempt to dissuade his own emotions away, and partly to grab your attention again. But when your bright hues meet the brilliant violet in his, there's nothing more than a comfortable and soothing silence.   
  
It wasn't until after a long conversation about tactics and magic over a cup of tea that you returned to your room, pleasantly surprised with another letter and box.  
  


_Even in the most dire situations your presence itself is healing._   
_My desire to hold you close and keep you by my side confounds me._

And much to your expectations, the singular stalk of a petunia makes your heart flutter.  _I can only hope I find who this person is soon so I can thank them._

  
**iii. Carnations and Sweet Alyssum**  
  
"You know," Elise slowly teased out each word, "You've been wandering around the gardens a lot more than usual, Leo."  
  
Leo freezes while in the midst of turning a page, and Elise's smile turns mischievous, "Is there a certain reason as to why?"  
  
He desperately hopes the flush on his visage isn't too noticeable, but judging by Elise's surprise and her reaction, all he can do is slam his tome shut and getting out of the area as soon as possible. But just as he walked past his younger sister, Elise teased, "I wonder if it's about a certain tactician."  
  
And instead of freezing this time, he barely manages to keep his composure and he sighed, "Don't push your luck, Elise."  
  
"You won't tell me? Even though I saw you choosing carnations this morning?"   
  
Leo's composure almost completely drops, but Elise smiles sweetly at him and she giggled, "I think she'll like them. But.. how come you only chose the red ones?"  
  
Leo doesn't answer, but he simply gives her a knowing smile and he chuckled, "Perhaps you should study them a bit more."  
  
Elise pouts, "That's not fair, Leo! You said I could ask you any questions!"  
  
"Ah yes, but," he paused as he glances at the blooming carnations, "But some questions are meant for you to answer yourself."   
  
That night, Leo sighed as he finished sealing yet another box filled with his own small arrangement of a carnation bouquet with some sweet alyssum. As he ties the ribbon around the box, and sealed it. He looks down at the simplistic letter.  
  


_In my eyes, you are the most beautiful of them all.  
If only you knew how much I care for you._

  
**iv. Calendula**  
  
"[F/N], there's the young lady I've been looking for." You stop walking and turn around, surprised to see Camilla approaching you. You give her a small smile and greet her with a bow, only for her hand to stop you from completing the movement as she straightens your posture out. "Now, now, we've known each other long enough that we don't need those formalities, my dear."  
  
"But Lady-"  
  
"Camilla is fine," she giggled and gently pinches your cheek. You smile, or tried to, and she sighed, "I'm so glad I found you."  
  
"Did you need me for something?"  
  
"Why yes, I've been meaning to have tea with the girls, but you're always with Leo or holed up in your study. It's practically impossible to find you otherwise."  
  
You furrowed your brows and you laughed, "I'm not  _always_  with Lord Leo. But it is true I've been in my study more often than usual."  
  
"Mmm, it must be hard acting as an adviser to our dear Corrin. She's still new to the field, but although her mind is sharp and her ideas are great, she tends to forget a few factors that are very important to winning a war. But of course, with you by her side, this makes things much easier."  
  
"Ah, thank you, I'm glad to be of help!" The bright smile on your face causes the beautiful princess to pull you into a tight hug and she sighed, "Oh I wish I can be your older sister, [F/N]. You're. Just. Too. Cute."  
  
"L-Lady Camilla! I can't- I can't breathe!" you whined as she pulls away. A small laugh escapes her lips and she smiled, "I'm sorry. I got too excited for a moment."  
  
"For what?" you asked out of curiosity. But she doesn't answer. Her finger is at her lips and she seems deep in thought and she smiles, "Well, you'll see. Let's have some tea then, shall we?"  
  
Camilla doesn't wait for an answer as she gently pulls you towards the garden. You glanced at her, and she merely chuckles and sits you down at the clothed table.   
  
A deep vibrant purple satin cloth sat over the circular table. At the center stood a two tiered glass stand plated with scones and small sandwiches. The chinaware and tea sets were all matching white and gold. But what caught your attention was the assortment of flowers that boxed in the glass stand. In each small individual vase sat the same flowers that had been handpicked and delivered to you. Snapdragons, petunias, carnations, and sweet alyssums. You glanced back, wanting to question Camilla, but instead you came face to face with the one man who you've spent almost all your waking hours with.  
  
"Lord.. Leo?" your voice was filled with hesitance and confusion, and although he smiles, he looks slightly exasperated when he answered, "Didn't I ask you to drop the 'lord' part already, [F/N]?"  
  
"Well, I just..." you paused and you noticed he had his hands behind his back, and then you gasped, "No."  
  
"No?"  
  
"Was it  _you_?"  
  
"Well," he paused, and you could see the faint blush adorning his cheeks and he mumbled, "This certainly isn't how I expected things to go."  
  
"So it  _is_  you?!" you practically squeaked, but quickly clamp your hands over your mouth. But the outburst was much too late, and he chuckled, "Yes."   
  
He makes his way past you, but doesn't sit down before you. The brilliance in your gaze makes him not want to look away, but he quickly averts his eyes and clears his throat as he brings hands away from his back and gently hands you a small bouquet of calendula flowers. As you reach out for them, your fingers graze his and both of parties feel the rush of electricity that sends tingles and lingering heat at the small areas in which they brushed past.   
  
Your breath hitches and he sits down before you. The silence was almost oppressing, but you softly mumbled, "They're lovely."  
  
"I'm glad you like them."  
  
You nod in agreement and you sighed, "You're... much more of a romantic than I had assumed."  
  
He raises an eyebrow at this and you smiled, "It's not every day that someone speaks with flowers."  
  
A soft smile dances over his features and you're completely enraptured by the genuine happiness that radiates from him.   
  
"It's not every day that I'm so captivated by someone either. And I was sure, someone as bright as you would immediately understand their implications."  
  
"I do," your answer was a soft whisper. Almost immediately after speaking it, it drifted away in the wind, and he softly stated, "I'm thankful for your presence in my life, [F/N]. You're always there for me, even when I don't realize that I needed help."   
  
He paused, and you notice his gaze is no longer at you, but gently eyeing the flowers. And you glanced between the object of his current admiration to the boy that's been on your mind since the first day you've met. He smiles softly and whispered, "I'm not one to act without proper planning, surely you know that by now."  
  
You nod, and you're finding it increasingly hard to keep eye contact with him. The flush on your cheeks was evident of how much he effects you, but it was the same for him.   
  
"But even now, I'm not entirely sure where to go from here," he admits as he gently plays with a stalk of flower. His fingers drop away from it, and he gently rests his hand next to yours. "I've been battling with these emotions for a while, at times debating if I should do this due to the fear of losing you completely. But.. I'm madly in love with you, my dear [F/N]."  
  
"Leo... I-" you stumble over your words, and instead your hand reaches out for his, slowly and gently intertwining them together. "I'm so overwhelmed... you- you're the only one I've been thinking of."   
  
You hear his breath hitch, and he fumbles before pulling out a small box. He gently opens it, revealing a simplistic ring. The gasp that escapes your lips makes his smile widen and he continued, "I understand we're in the middle of a war, and there is no need to rush this. So you can take your time to answer-"  
  
"I wish to be with you, Leo."   
  
Your answer surprised him, but the radiance and genuine happiness and joy on your features makes him hold back his answer. But he can't but confirm, "Truly?"  
  
"Yes," the hand holding his gently squeezes to emphasize your answer and you sighed, "I never would have imagined these feelings would be returned."   
  
He chuckled as he slipped the ring onto your hand. His fingers gently played with it and he sighed, "I've hidden my feelings for so long. I can't  _believe_  you felt the same way all this time. [F/N], stay with me forever."

**Author's Note:**

> Flower meanings:  
> Snapdragons - graciousness, but also has ties to concealment  
> Petunia - desire to spend time with someone because their company is soothing and peaceful  
> Dianthus (Carnations) - Flower of Love  
> Sweet Alyssum - worth beyond beauty  
> Calendula - summer's bride; represents thankfulness, excellence and serenity
> 
> Written for BashfulCupcakes on DA for winning Mikittykun's raffle.


End file.
